Have I mentioned lately that I’m in love with Gerard Butler? (Have I ever mentioned it?) Meanwhile, he’s so fabulous. Good hero material. Also reminds me of Hugh Jackman, my other true love. (realizing of course, none of these men know I’m alive and I’m happily married)

So, what’s the point? The photo is the point. When I’m looking for a hero, I scan through photos. Modeling websites are great sources as are photos on Google’s Images search…where this one came from.

Pick a handsome face, and drop it into your document. Anytime you need a reference, there he is. Hard to forget his hair color or eye color when “wow” there he is. Also serves as excellent inspiration. 🙂

By the way, I do this for heroines, too. I wrote some 15 stories last year, and believe me when I say it’s easy for me to forget what these people look like. When I’m deep in the process of plotting the story, working on the angst of it all…I forget the details.

Photos really do help. Also, they give me a sense of the person. What do you see when you look at ole Gerard? Confidence, humor, style, an accent maybe–he can sing, I think. (Now, I have no idea if the REAL GERARD can sing, but he looks to me like he could…so I use it in the story.)